We all need as much help as we can get before we get old—especially if it feels like we’re aging faster because of the kids and jobs we love so much.

As we get older, our brains get smaller, our skin wrinkles, and our energy and metabolism go from all-nighters in our 20s to the “Dad Life” reality of up-all-nighters with the kids.

We lose muscle mass and testosterone, as well as the cellular boost we need for heart, brain, and nerve functions. The trillions of cells that make up our bodies need a hero for that afternoon drag when we face the “5 o’clock shadow” that we just can’t shave off.

As a teacher and dad, I “leave it all” on the field of life. Between 125-plus students at work and three kids at home, I need more than coffee breath and a somewhat healthy diet to get me to my 50s (or whenever my children leave the house with a full ride to university). Yes, admittedly I need to make time for meditation, running, and yoga (no, those aren’t the names of my three children), but realistically even thinking about making any more time for anything just raises my blood pressure and sends me that shot of anxiety and stress I’m trying to avoid anyway.

And I’ll try anything twice—especially something targeted at my cellular health and not just another promised product that takes effect over time (or not at all). I need sleep, energy, and more mental clarity than ever (and the wife agrees).

Niacin, magnesium, and vitamins A through D offer great hope as an addendum to my leafy green meals and mostly healthy lifestyle, but something like NR (nicotinamide riboside) in TRU NIAGEN®, actually has been tested, patented, and designed to improve my healthy aging NAD levels better than anything in the vitamin aisle. We lose up to 50% of our NAD levels between age 40 and 60. For me, 60 is only 20 years away.

I don’t want limitations on products that I’m looking to help me in the long run—I’m looking to live my life as long as I can and prevent as much cellular lag as possible. My baby face may sport a popular three-day “beard,” but my heart and brain cells need quicker attention each day—way before that early afternoon drain and the 5 o’clock shadow.

Something like NR (which is a unique form of B3) is definitely a supplement I’m going to add to my daily regimen, especially as I start to stare at a 40+-year-old body that needs energy and help more than ever.

And we all need as much help as we can get before we get old—especially if it feels like we’re aging faster because of the kids and jobs we love so much.